Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Saturday that Mr. Ahmadinejad's victory demonstrates that the "Iranian threat" has grown. He said the international community must stop the nuclear program and terrorism coming from Iran.

Iranian media report that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called Mr. Ahmadinejad to congratulate him on the victory. Mr. Chavez is an ally of the Iranian president and another frequent critic of the United States.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he does not think there will be significant change in Iran's policies. But he said the election brought out a lot of opposition to Mr. Ahmadinejad, and expressed hope that the Iranian president will "listen to those opinions" and "modify" his positions.

Mr. Carter was speaking from Ramallah in the West Bank, where he met with Palestinian officials.